Computer games have grown from simple single-player, text-based games playable on stand-alone desktop computers to massive multi-player games using high-resolution graphics playable across global networks.
The newest and most popular computer games allow members of online social networks to play games in which they build their own virtual worlds and share them with each other. For example, an online social network called Facebook offers such online social games to over 700 million members, such as Zynga's Cityville, LOLapp's Ravenswood Fair, and Digital Chocolate's Millionaire City.
Many online social games use a game play environment (or “game space”) with fixed topographical elements. For example, a game space with a fixed number of mountains, rivers, and/or farming plains in fixed locations at fixed sizes. At most, a player may place crops, trees, or other decorative features into the game space but may not modify the underlying topographical features.
Games with fixed topography suffer from numerous drawbacks. First, such games limit the creativity and enjoyment of players. For example, a player may want to re-create the topography of their home town in their virtual world. Second, such games restrict game designers from providing additional in-game benefits. For example, a game designer may want to provide a player with gold ore awards for mining a new mountain. And, third, such games may hamper game operators from maximizing revenues. For example, a player may be willing to pay for the ability to add a stream or mountain to their game space.
Thus, there is a need for an online social game which allows a player to modify the topographical features of a game space to produce in-game benefits.